Interchangeable mechanical-sign unit.



ms. HELLER. INTERCHANGEABLE MECHANICAL SIGN UNIT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.19\ 916.

1,2513%, ?atente& Feb. 26,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. S. HELLER.

INTERCHANGEABLE MECHANECAL SIGN UNIT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. 916. 1,257,348. Patentsd Fab: 26,1918.

2 SHEET8-8HEET 2.

ZEVEH QF M WW1,

Mlzesses HERMAN s. HEL on SAN riaAivcrsco, CALIFORNIA.

INTERCHANGEABLE MECHANICAL-SIGN UNIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26,1918.

Application filed April 19, 1916. Serial No. 93,340.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN S. HEL a citizen of the United States, residingin the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Interchangeable Mechanical-Sign Units, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to interchangeable mechanical sign units wherein a translucent tape, having variouscharactersthereon, operates in conjunctionwith mechanism adapt ed to movethe. said tape and thereby display any one of the said characters; and the objects of my invention are.

First, to provide an improved changeable sign unit wherein the characters are easily and readily changeable.

Second, to provide an improved change,- able sign comprising interchangeable units, each unit being adapted to display various characters.

Third, to provide improved means where-- by the characters may be easily and quickly changed so as to alter the reading matter displayed.

Fourth, to provide means for normally winding a translucent tape having various characters thereon onto one of two reels rotatably mounted within the unit.

Fifth, to provide means for indicating, at the rear of the sign, the character dis played at the other end thereof,

Sizxth, to, provide a simple electrical conet wher y h di p ayed cha a t r of each unit may be illuminated.

Seventh, to provide improved means whereby a sectional sign of any number of characters or words may be produced.

I a co p h h s sever tu s y means of the preferred form of the invention disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specification wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the said specification and drawings, and whichure 1 s a r i al ses aa ie t ken on line YY of Fig. 2 of the drawings, dis closing the arrangement of the reels and the ranslu e ape he o and h manner in which one of the reels is geared to the oper ating means.

F g- 2 a ho onta sectional ew ta e e n f F eil t l s draw n s.

disclosing the arrangement of the several parts and the. manner in which an electrical connection is obtained between adjacent units.

Fig. 3. is'a rear view of several units, on an enlarged scale, disclosing the means for indicating the character displayed and the means whereby the device is operated.

Fig. i is a front view of a number of units arranged to form a sign.

Referring tov the drawings the numeral 1 is used. to designate a suitable rectangular housing'having' a display window 2 in the front end thereof, and a pairof reels 3 and srotatably mounted therein. Operativel-y connected to the reels 3v and t is a translucent tape 6 having various characters 7 thereon, preferably the capital letters of the alphabet and the numerals, 1 to 9, inclusive, the letter O of the alphabet also serving as the numeral 0.

A spring controlled drum 8 is rotatably mounted within the housing 1 and inside of the reel 3 and is provided with a suitable gear 9 which meshes with a gear 11 on the hollow shaft 12 of the said reel 3, said drum 8 being adapted to normally roll or rewind the translucent tape 6 onto the reel 3.

A gear 1st is secured to the reel 1 and meshes with a gear 16 rotatably mounted within the housing 1 and having a beveled gear 17, secured thereto which turn meshes with a second beveled gear 18 secured to a stem 19 rotatably mounted within a suitable bearing 21 secured to the inside of the rear end of the housing 1.

The stem 19 extends through the rear of the housing 1 and has a lettered and numher-ed dial 22 and a ratchet 23 secured thereto.

The dial 22 is provided with a squared aperture 25 adapted to receive the squared end of a key or other suitable tool, not shown, by means of which the said dial 22 may be turned and'the mechanism thereby operated.

A. spring controlled pawl 2a is slidaloly mounted upon the rear end of the housing 1 and above the dial 22 thereon and is adapted to normally engage the ratchet 23 and to normally prevent a return movement thereof. The pawl 2st is provided with an V outwardly bent projection or pointer 26 adapted to, indicate on the dial 22tl1e character displayed at the window 2 at the other end of the housing 1.

When the tape 6 is in one extreme position no character but a blank space will be displayed at the window 2. While the tape 6 is in this position a pin 27 secured to the dial 22 at a point in the periphery of the said dial midway between the characters 7 on opposite ends of the said tape 6, will rest against the pawl 24 as disclosed in the cen tral portion of Fig. 3 of the drawings and thereby prevent a further movement of the mechanism and the tape 6 which would tend to move the said tape 6 farther than necessary.

This is the normal or starting position of the device.

In order to illuminate the window 2 and the character 7 displayed therein, or a blank space, I have provided a suitable electric lamp 28 secured to a bar 29 and having suitable electrical connections 31 secured to insulated arcuate spring contacts 32 secured to and insulated from the sides of the housing 1 and projecting slightly beyond aper tures 33 therein, said contacts 32 being adapted to normally contact with similar contacts in the housing of each adjacent unit, thereby completing a suitable connection by means of which electric current may be carried to the lamps 28.

The operation is as follows:

()ne complete revolution of the dial 22, by means of the gears 18, 17, 16 and 1 1, and the reel 4, will cause all of the characters 7 on the tape 6 to pass the window 2, and leave the last letter of the alphabet Z displayed therein.

By raising the pawl 2a the ratchet 23, secured to the dial 22, will be released and the tension of the spring within the drum 8 will rewind the tape 6 on the reel 3 and leave a blank space exposed or displayed before the window 2.

in order to display any character 7 before the window 2 the dial 22 is rotated in the direction indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 3 of the drawings by means of a suitable tool, not shown. The rotation of the dial 22 will be imparted, by means of the various gears, to the reel l which will wind the tape 6 thereon thereby causing the characters 7 on the said tape 6 to pass over the rollers and 35 rotatably mounted within the housing 1 and to be displayed before the window 2 until the desired character, as indicated by the pointer 26, appears before the said window 2. The spring controlled pawl 24, when released, will reengage the ratchet 23 and thereby prevent the spring controlled drum 8 from returning or rewinding the tape 6 onto the reel 3.

To rewind the tape 6 on the reel 3 the pawl 24: is raised, thereby releasing the ratchet 23 and permitting the drum 8 to operate the reel 3 and rewind the said tape 6 thereon.

It is obvious from the foregoing that I have provided an improved interchangeable mechanical sign unit adapted to display various characters, and improved means for easily and quickly changing the characters displayed. It is also evident that I have provided an improved mechanical sign unit by means of which a sectional sign may be constructed.

The details of construction are so susceptible to variation that I do not wish to confine myself to the precise construction shown herein but rather to avail myself of any modification that may fall properly within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. An interchangeable mechanical sign unit comprising a suitable housing having a display window in the front end thereof; a pair of reels rotatably mounted within the housing; a translucent tape having various characters thereon and the ends thereof wound upon the reels and arranged to pass the display window and to display only one character on the said tape at one time; a dial having characters thereon similar to and corresponding with the characters on the tape, said dial being rotatably mounted upon the rear end of the housing and operatively connected to one of the reels whereby the tape may be moved and any one of the characters thereon displayed at the display window;

means adapted to indicate on the dial the character displayed; means operatively connected to the dial and adapted to normally prevent a return movement thereof; a spring controlled drum operatively connected to the other reel and adapted to normally rewind the tape thereon; means adapted to illuminate the displayed character; and means operatively connected to the illuminating means and adapted to contact with similar means secured to an adjacent sign unit on each side thereof.

2. An interchangeable mechanical sign unit comprising a suitable housing having a display window in the front end thereof; a pair of reels rotatably mounted within the housing; a translucent tape having various characters thereon and the ends thereof wound upon the reels and arranged to pass the display window to display one character only at one time; a dial having characters thereon similar to and corresponding with the characters of the tape, said dial being rotatably mounted upon the rear end of the housing and operatively connected to one of the reels to move the tape; a pawl to indicate the character displayed and to normally prevent a return movement of said tape; a spring controlled, drum operatively connect- In Witness whereof I hereunto set my siged to the other reel to normally rewind the nature in the presence of tWo subscribing tape thereon; means for illuminating the displayed character; and means operatively Witnesses. connected to the illuminating means and HERMAN S. HELLER. adapted to contact with similar means se- WVitnesses:

GEORGE KRUMREY,

cured to an adjacent similar unit JAMES MCCUE.

on each side thereof.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

